National Forest Foundation
The National Forest Foundation (NFF) is a non-profit organization created by the United States Congress as the official non-profit partner of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service.
WGS served as NFF’s Chief Financial Officer and provided accountants to record and process transactions and generate financial reports for the NFF as well as the USDA Forest Service.
WGS was responsible for grants management compliance with USDA Forest Service grant agreements including preparation of SF 424, 270, 269, 245, & 272. We assisted in the monitoring of sub-recipients, including reviewing sub-recipient grant applications and financial statements.
WGS also monitored the NFF’s compliance with OMB Circulars A-110 and A-122 and coordinated the annual financial and compliance audits with external auditors.
US Department of the Interior
Watkins Government Services LLC (WGS) assisted the Department of the Interior’s National Business Center (NBC), Budget and Finance Directorate (B&F) with financial statement preparation for the Interior Franchise Fund and analysis of quarterly cost accounting data for cost reduction and price setting. WGS provided support in both the Washington, DC and Denver, CO offices, reporting directly to the NBC Budget Officer and the Chief of the Business Management Office.
US Department of Justice
Watkins Government Services LLC (WGS) developed the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) entire A-123 finance and IT process from scratch, and helped the client improve from multiple Material Weaknesses to a single non-conformity during our five year tenure at DOJ. We also continue to assist the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the primary grant making component agency within DOJ, with grantee audit follow-up.
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Over a number of years, Watkins Government Services LLC (WGS) provided support to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Financial Policy for a variety of tasks and initiatives.
Grants Management
WGS assisted the VA in requirements gathering to support moving the Department from a paper-based grants management structure to a fully automated grants management system. We worked with VA program offices to develop functional and system requirements for the VA grants management system and also developed functional and system requirements that would allow for the publication of grants management data.
Data Analytics
WGS supported VA’s Data Quality Services (DQS), a program designed to address government spending transparency initiatives, by collecting data from different organizations and compiling that information for submission to USAspending. WGS conducted analysis, provided technical support and recommendations to VA Leadership regarding data quality validation and reconciliation efforts.
In support of the VA’s System to Drive Performance (STDP) initiative, WGS assisted in analyzing budgetary and performance information within all VA Administrations. We also set up and managed the Program Management Office which included guidance in the selection of a business intelligence product and developing governance documents. WGS also developed and delivered a variety of dashboards used by Headquarters and the different Administrations to make decisions on programs and metrics.
WGS worked with the VA to develop the Integrated Operating Model (IOM), an enhanced management structure and integrated operating model focused on improving integration and management within and across multiple corporate support functions. WGS assisted in strategic planning, project management and administrative support.
Financial Management
Working to support Financial Process Improvement and Audit Readiness (FPIAR), WGS assisted the Office of Management in supervising external audits and internal management assessments. We researched and analyzed open obligations and conducted analysis of specific financial data to allow management to adequately assess VA’s overall financial health. In addition, WGS ensured conformance with modifications required by OMB Circular A-136 and developed system related procedures of VA’s legacy financial system in accordance with regulatory guidance.